Beyond Pharoah Atemu
by Steven Kunz
Summary: Yugi x Anzu one shot; After Atemu leaves Yugi for the afterlife, Yugi is left emotionally weakened. Anzu heads over to the Mutou House to cheer him up. Will be rated M for the after-cuddling scene soon.


Beyond Pharoah Atemu 

Written by Steven Kunz the Fan Author

Disclaimer: I do not own nor invent Yu-Gi-Oh!. Kazuki Takahashi has pimped out teh Manga.

Author's Notes: I wanted to write a Yugi x Anzu fic for a long while, I figured posting this here would get me motivated to do some more fics. That's all. Hope you like!

* * *

2 Months after Pharaoh Atemu had fought against Mutou Yugi in the Ceremonial Battle... 

It was Summertime. The dreaded Tokyo Summer had appeared and spread to most of Japan, and Domino City was no exception.

It was the end of Yugi's second year as a High School Student. Next Year, he would be a Senior, and afterwards, he would supposedly make his way into the Duelist World and become a Professional Duelist. However, Mutou Yugi had mysteriously disappeared from the Dueling World. He had been showing up in school, but he hardly speaks a word to anyone except to his teachers, Jounouchi, and Anzu Mazaki. After the end of school, Yugi simply said goodbye and headed home. He hadn't been seen since.

* * *

"Moshi Moshi?" Anzu said when she picked up the phone. "Ah, Yugi-San!"

"Hai..." Yugi said quietly on the other end of the phone.

"Where have you been! Ever since summer started, you haven't answered your calls, you don't come out, you don't speak to us! What gives!" Anzu shouted outloud, wanting to know about her best friend.

"Ah...I've been..." Yugi sighed and let the phone lay by his hear. Despite his optimism and assurance of Atemu that he was strong enough, Yugi had felt very depressed. To lose his other self, the other self that gave him strength and the ability to overcome ALL of his opponents, it was quite traumatic. He felt as if he had no one, just like before he made friends with Jounouchi. It was horrible. And there was no one who would understand him. Atemu understoond him, but that was understandable since they were one and the same.

"Yugi-San?" Anzu asked, worried about the long silence he was giving her.

"Ah!" He suddenly came back to Earth as she remembered what he said and finished his sentence. "I've been thinking very much lately after ...after my other self left."

Anzu sighed softly. She felt a pang of heartbreak since she was in love with Atemu. However, the pain wasn't as sharp as she thought it would be since she found herself seeing Yugi in Atemu's eyes. She soon found herself being attracted to Yugi moreso, and it was comforting.

"Ah yes, the other Yugi. Have you been thinking of him all this time?" Anzu asked.

"Yes..."

"I see..."

Anzu would've kept silent, not knowing what to say when she heard Yugi's soft sigh. It was painfully obvious that he was about to cry. This gave her more determination. "Yugi-San, do you want me to come over?"

"What! B-b-b-bbbbbut Anzu, I haven't cleaned up and anything! I need to get ready! You can't see me like this!" Yugi shouted as there was some stuff knocked over.

"I don't care, Yugi! I don't know what's wrong you, but damn it, I'm going to find out. NOW!" She slammed the phone on the base as she huffed a little bit.

As she walked upstairs to change, being that she got up somewhat late, she thought to herself, "Geez...Yugi has been very different lately. We've all felt seperation when the other Yugi left for the afterlife, and we still do, but unlike us, Yugi is isolating himself from the world! What's his deal?"

As she changed into a nice outfit, something that would get Yugi's attention, but still be a little conservative due to the fact that it's summer, she stopped and thought to herself. "Sou...I just remembered. Yugi only had me when he was growing up. He was always picked on by bullies and other people because of his height. The same was in High School until he solved the Millenium Puzzle and the other Yugi appeared. The other Yugi was much stronger than my Yugi, and..."

She paused and blushed. She had thought "My Yugi" and halted. She looked to the side and sighed, whispering to herself. "My Yugi, huh...so I see..."

She finished her thought, got changed, and walked out the door to Yugi's house. She wore loose black shorts with white boots as well as a simple white blouse, one button undone.

"Konnichiwa!" Anzu walked into the Kame Game Store. No one was there. Grandpa Mutou was off on an errand. The store was closed, but Anzu had an extra set of keys that Yugi gave to all his friends if they needed to see him.

"Yugi...?" Anzu whispered quietly as she walked across the lobby of the Game Store and up the stairs into the upstairs hallway. Removing her outside shoes and putting on slippers so she can proceed further, she soon walked into Yugi's room and whispered a little louder. "Yugi..."

She gasped at when she knocked something down. It was a loud clatter as a metal tin box fell from a stack of metal tins, the lid popping open and revealing many cards. She stepped forward, hearing something break underneath her feet. Not bothering to find out what it is, she flicked the light switch and gasped at what she saw.

Many streams of tossed cards and papers all over Yugi's floor. The bed was messily made and his desk had many dishes and cans on it. The closet was no exception as clothes were piled up. There were many crumped up pieces of paper by the desk as she lifted her head and saw Yugi looking at her, afraid of her reaction. "Anzu! What...what are you doing here!"

Anzu was stunned by his reaction as she watched her step and asked Yugi another question. "Yugi...what's happened!"

As she walked even closer, Yugi shouted out as he attempted to get up and run away. "STAY BACK, ANZU!" Unfortunately, he fell over and slid off the chair.

"Yugi!" Anzu shouted as she ran forward, accidently stepping on a random nail tack that was on the floor as she caught Yugi.

"Iieya!" She shouted as she stepped on the nailtack, catching Yugi in his arms. She took a tiny breath as she looked over his shoulders and saw what he was hiding.

Yugi's deck was still fine, no harm had come to it. However, there were many broken pencils. Yugi had tried to draw many pictures of Atemu as there were at least 7-8 versions of the same drawing. However, there were at least the same amount plus one more of Anzu Mazaki. The drawings were nothing to be adored at, but Anzu felt honored when she saw the many pieces of paper with a cartoon version of her face.

"Anzu!" Yugi shouted when he regained his balance and saw the spot of blood on his carpet. "Are you alright!"

The pain came back to Anzu as she winced and let Yugi sit down on the chair as she cleared a space. She pulled the thumbtack off of her foot, then removed her slippers. She looked up at Yugi and then said. "So...what's the matter, Yugi...?"

Yugi's eyes widened. Despite her immediate pain and slow stinging, Anzu's main priority was himself.

"Anzu..." Yugi said quietly in awe. He soon scooted his chair forward so that he would be facing Anzu.

"It's my other self, Anzu." Yugi said. Anzu nodded her head as she continued, ready to listen. "Ever since my other self dissappeared, I have felt weak..lonely...like everything that he accomplished went with him instead of staying with me."

This caught her attention. "Anzu...my friendship with Jounouchi and Honda...all those adventures we had together, all the duels, all the conflict, and the many victories we all shared as a team...I feel as if..."

He bent his head and started crying. "Ever since my other self left, I felt as if everything I've gained because of him has left with him! I feel as if...without my other self, I'm nothing! No friends, no loved ones, nothing at all, just like my life was before I met him!"

This was all Anzu could stomach. In certain situations, a talk of friendship was the right booster. She listened before and she tried her best to stand her ground at times, like when Jounouchi revived after Marik's duel and went to see Yugi. She let the stronger people shadow her, but now was not that time!

"Enough, you idiot!" She stood up, walked forward on her injured foot and slapped Yugi hard on the cheek.

"Ow!" Yugi took the blow and nearly fell over. He looked at Anzu and was about to cry. He expected this behavior from Jounouchi when he was down, but not from Anzu. "Anzu...why!"

"I can't stand to see you beat yourself up over this! Yugi! You had the choice to lose that duel and keep your other self inside you for as long as you live! Instead, you did what you thought was right and let him go to his eternal rest with all of his friends from the past! I understand your feelings, but it's been nearly 2 months, you've got to move on!" Anzu shouted.

"Anzu, you don't understand!" Yugi stood up and shouted at her. "You don't understand what it's like to lose someone SO precious to you! You don't understand how it feels to have a part of you torn away forever, unable to return! That feeling is the worst feeling in the world! No one can understand but me! It was my other self, after all!"

This sudden outburst from Yugi was very unexpected. Anzu had no idea that Yugi felt this way. However, she did understand, as she felt her own heartbreak.

"Yugi..." She said as she sat down, took his hand and laid it by her chest, where her heart is.

"Anzu?" Yugi suddenly blushed when he felt something soft against the side of his hands as he looked at her. He was surprised. She was smiling, but she was also crying as well.

"I used to be in love with your other self. Although I never said it to you and him, I'm sure both of you understood that I had feelings for both of you. When the other Yugi left, my heart tore apart too. I felt as if I've wasted many oppurtunities with him because there was much I wanted to do with him...at least...that was what I thought..."

Yugi looked up as Anzu continued on. She cried more and bent her head, her hair covering her eyes. All Yugi could see was her cheeks, her lips, and the tears coming down her cheeks. "I soon found myself falling in love with you...it's silly, but I saw you in your other self's eyes. When he dueled, when he was being the Hero, I saw you there with him. I saw you doing everything it took to win for us. Even when you were seperated from him when he left to find his memories, you were strong by yourself as well...eventually, I found myself loving you, not your other self!"

"Anzu..." Yugi blushed as he wondered what to do now. His doubts were settled once again when Anzu lifted her head, shouting at Yugi. "When I see you like this, it disgusts me! This is not the Yugi I know! The Yugi I know and love would be sad as well, but he would have the strength to move on and learn from his other self, not live and depreciate himself until he was dead!"

These words shocked Yugi even more. However, when she said those words, everything that she said instantly made sense, and all of his defenses were immediately shot down.

"Anzu..." Yugi said as he stepped forward, one knee on the bedding, and wiped her tears with his free hand. She looked up to see a crying Yugi. "I'm so SORRY, Anzu...I didn't know how I was worrying everyone. I was just...scared...scared to face everyone after my other self left. I was afraid you would see him, not me, and you would all leave me alone! I ...was scared, Anzu!"

The two looked into eachother's eyes. Emotions overwhelmed eachother as they leaned forward and kissed eachother on the lips very softly. Their lips and bodies were gradually going warmer as they held their kiss.

When they parted lips, they looked at eachother and smiled softly, blushes on their cheeks. Yugi slowly started to tear up and dove into Anzu's arms, his head laying against her chest, whispering. "I'm sorry Anzu...thank you...Anzu...I love you very much..."

Anzu was surprised by this sudden tackle and smiled once she was still. She held Yugi tightly and cuddled, her hand stroking his hair and gently massaging his side while she pressed against her chest, making him sigh in content...

* * *

"Good Morning! YUGI! You're alive!" Jounouchi shouted as he walked forward and petted his head. "Where ya been! We've been worried sick!"

"I've just been worrying and thinking about my other self...I'm still hurting a little, but I'm ready to move on!" Yugi said more enthusiastically than he's even been before.

"There ya go! Way to be a man, Yugi!" Jounouchi said as he looked at Honda, who smirked at him and Yugi.

"Actually, it was Anzu who helped me a lot, Jounouchi." Yugi said and blushed, looking to the side.

He blinked, but grinned when he saw them holding hands. "Oh, I geeeet it! You two had a little taaaalk...right!"

Immediately, thsoe two gasped. Anzu quickly denied the accusation while Yugi was still quiet. He was still somewhat unused to being with girls.

"Well, whatever! Come on, let's go! It's Saturday!" Jounouchi said and walked away, Honda following behind him while muttering, "What an idiot..."

As those two walked ahead, Anzu and Yugi looked at eachother and thought. "Wow...he...guessed right." Yugi said, remembering all of last night.

"Well...it doesn't matter. All I know is that...we're together, yes?" Anzu smiled at him.

"Yes..." Yugi smiled back as she leaned forward and kissed him. The two kissed a little longer, then walked to meet Jounouchi and Honda, hand-in-hand, fully aware of what happened, what they did, and what the future will hold for them...and with no regrets.


End file.
